Obama U-turn on abuse photographs 13 May 2009 US President Barack Obama has changed his mind and will now attempt to block the publication of photographs showing the abuse of prisoners by US soldiers. The US government had previously said it would not fight a court ruling ordering the release of the pictures. Mr Obama now believes the release of the photos would make the job of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan more difficult, White House officials said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8048774.stm

 

Obama Reverses Stance and Seeks to Block Detainee Photo Release 13 May 2009 President Barack Obama has reversed his stance and is seeking to block release of photographs that show the treatment of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan by U.S. personnel, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. The president “did not feel comfortable with release of the photos” which military officials said might endanger troops, Gibbs said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5AVW_6wB_PE

Obama threatens to limit US intel with UK over Guantanamo torture –Justice letter filed in court12 May 2009 The Bush Obama administration says it may curtail Anglo-American intelligence sharing if the British High Court discloses new details of the treatment of a former Guantanamo prisoner. A court filing from the British Foreign Office released recently includes a letter from the U.S. government, identified as the “Obama administration’s communication.” At issue is whether the British courts will disclose a seven-paragraph summary of the treatment of Binyam Mohamed, a former prisoner who was released from Guantanamo Bay prison in February. Mr. Mohamed says he was tortured while in U.S., Pakistani and Moroccan custody.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/12/obama-threatens-to-limit-us-intel-with-brits/

Former Official: Treatment of Terror Suspects a ‘Collective Failure’ –Testimony comes amid calls for criminal prosecutions, disbarment or probe of former government officials and mercenaries for their activities during the Bush war on of terror 13 May 2009 Former State Department counselor Philip Zelikow told the first congressional panel convened to address allegations of torture that the Bush regime officials engaged in a “collective failure” on detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists. Fresh accounts today by Zelikow and retired FBI special agent Ali Soufan are likely to expose anew rifts within the highest levels of the Bush regime over the practices.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051301281.html

FBI Whistleblower Testimony: Gonzales Imposed Brutal Interrogation Tactics –Ali Soufan Also to Testify CIA Torture Program Architect Was Unqualified 12 May 2009 As President [sic] Bush’s top lawyer, Alberto Gonzales pressed counterterror officials to use brutal interrogation techniques on terror suspect Abu Zubaydah in 2002, even when those techniques hindered Zubaydah’s cooperation, a former FBI agent who was present is expected to testify Wednesday before Congress.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7560666

Graham threatens to pull Pelosi into torture probe 13 May 2009 Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), an influential Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has threatened to call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before the Senate for an investigation of abusive interrogation techniques torture used during the Bush administration.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/graham-threatens-to-pull-pelosi-into-senate-torture-probe-2009-05-13.html

Inquirer defends the indefensible: A monthly column by torture architect John Yoo By Will Bunch 11 May 2009 Most famously, Yoo was known as the author of the infamous “torture memos” (http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/4/1/222429/3656) that in 2002 and 2003 gave the Bush and Cheney the legal cover to violate the human rights of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, based on the now mostly ridiculed claim that international and U.S. laws against such torture practices did not apply. Working closely with Dick Cheney, Cheney’s staff and others, Yoo set into motion the brutal actions that left a deep, indelible stain on the American soul. Yet none of that was enough to prevent my colleagues upstairs at the Philadelphia Inquirer — with none of the fanfare that might normally accompany such a move — to sign a contract with Yoo in late 2008 to give him a regular monthly column.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Inquirer_defends_the_indefensible_Its_contract_with_torture_architect_John_Yoo.html

Obama’s Pakistan is Nixon’s Laos: U.S. military, Pakistan carrying out Predator drone missions together –The Pakistanis have yet to use the drones to shoot at suspected militants and are ambivalent over using U.S. equipment to fire on their own people. 12 May 2009 The U.S. military has begun flying armed Predator drones inside Pakistan and has given Pakistani officers significant control over targets, flight routes and decisions to launch attacks under a new joint operation, according to U.S. officials familiar with the program. Under the new partnership, U.S. military drones will be allowed for the first time to venture beyond the borders of Afghanistan under the direction of Pakistani military officials, who are working with American counterparts at a command center in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. ['Partnership' aka 'bitchship.' Pakistan is the US's bitch. To continue to receive billions in US tax dollars, Pakistan is forced to bomb its own people.]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-predator13-2009may13,0,2239914.story

More than 80 girls hospitalised by ‘poison gas attack’ 12 May 2009 More than 80 Afghan teenagers have been admitted to a hospital for headaches and vomiting in the third apparent poison attack on a girls school in as many weeks. At least 98 patients in total were admitted from Aftab Bachi school, including the principal, 11 teachers and two cleaners. The apparent attack came a day after 61 schoolgirls and one teacher from a school in neighbouring Parwan province were admitted to a hospital after complaining of sudden illness. [My theory: The US did it, Obama learned that the US did it, and fired General McKiernan so that if this particular war crime was traced to the US, Obama's hands would be 'clean.' --LRP]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5314205/More-than-80-girls-hospitalised-by-poison-gas-attack.html

‘Poison gas’ puts 50 Afghan schoolgirls in hospital 12 May 2009 Nearly 50 teenagers have been admitted to hospital after a suspected mass poisoning at an Afghan girls’ school [Ura Jalili Girls' High School], the second such incident in a month. The students in the northern town of Charikar were rushed out of their classrooms by the headmaster when they smelt an unusual odour and started feeling nauseous and dizzy. There have been no clues as to the type of gas used in either case. [Check CIA stockpiles.] Blood samples have been sent to the nearby US Bagram airbase but results have not yet come back from the first incident.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5310729/Poison-gas-puts-50-Afghan-schoolgirls-in-hospital.html

Several killed in Afghan bombing –Seven civilians killed, several wounded 13 May 2009 A suicide car bomb explosion near a US military base in eastern Afghanistan has killed seven civilians and wounded several others, the US military says. The attack took place near the eastern town of Khost. Meanwhile, the US military in Afghanistan says its forces mistakenly killed two civilians and wounded four others as they responded [?] to an ‘insurgent’ attack also in the east of the country.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8047174.stm

US soldier in Iraq charged with 5 counts of murder 13 May 2009 A US soldier who has allegedly killed five of his comrades at a military base in Baghdad has been charged with five counts of murder, the US military says. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the military said that Sergeant John Russell was suspected of shooting the five soldiers at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad airport, on Monday.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94537&sectionid=3510203

US to give Iran talks ‘only until October’ 11 May 2009 With the US President planning a policy shift on Iran, a report says he will only give the much-awaited talks five months to resolve Tehran’s nuclear dispute. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the United States has set October as its deadline for engaging Iran in the first round of talks over the country’s nuclear activities.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94380&sectionid=351020101

Galloway sues Canada over entry ban 12 May 2009 British anti-war lawmaker George Galloway is taking legal action against Canada because he was prevented from entering the country in March. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada said in March that Galloway would not be allowed entry and referred to a catch-all legal clause.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94528&sectionid=351020701

Top Military, Homeland Security Officials Want WH to Establish Cyber Czar 13 May 2009 The nation’s top military, intelligence and homeland security officials are recommending that President Obama establish a new White House cyber czar under the National Security Council with broad policy-setting authority for protecting both public- and private-sector computer networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/05/12/ST2009051203081.html